1. Technical Field
A locking system for windows and doors is disclosed which includes an otherwise straight tie bar with one or more bent sections therein for engaging strikers fixedly mounted to the window sash or door. An additional bent section may be provided near or at the middle of the bar for purposes of coupling the bar to a lock handle. Adjustable strikers are also disclosed that may be used with the disclosed tie bars.
2. Description of the Related Art
Casement windows are known. In the past, the locking of a casement window sash to a window frame has been problematic because casement window sashes have a tendency to warp with age and therefore it can be difficult to hold an entire side edge of a sash against a frame for locking purposes. Further, casement window operators typically apply the closing force to only one end of the casement window sash, e.g., the bottom end, and therefore there is a tendency for one end of the sash to engage the frame before the opposing end of the sash As a result, the entire side edge of the sash that is to be locked against the frame does not simultaneously engage the flame all at once thereby making the sash difficult to lock.
To overcome these problems, tie bars have been employed along the edge of the frame to lock the sash against the frame. The tie bars typically include a plurality of rollers riveted onto the tie bar that engage tamped keepers spaced along the edge of the window sash. To address the warping problem discussed above, the rollers and keepers are appropriately spaced so that the rollers engage the keepers in a sequential manner, typically starting from the bottom of the sash and ending with the top of the sash. As a result, the bottom of the sash is locked first and the sequential interaction of the middle and top rollers with the middle and top keepers respectively results in the middle and top portions of the sash being pulled against the frame and locked shut.
With the above-described sequential locking systems, proper alignment of each roller with its respective striker is imperative for facilitating the proper locking sequence with the least amount of force necessary. Because in most systems the position of the roller on the tie bar is fixed by way of the rivet connection, adjustments of the position of either the tie bar or the strikers is necessary to facilitate the locking sequence U.S. Pat. No. 6,651,389, commonly assigned with the present application, discloses a roller connected to a tie bar with an eccentrically disposed pin that enables the relative position of the roller with respect to the tie bar (and therefore this protector) to be adjusted once the tie bar is installed.
However, the roller/tie bar connection disclosed in the '389 patent is expensive from a manufacturing standpoint. At least two parts are required in addition to the tie bar—the rivet or pin and the roller—and the eccentric rivet must be secured to both the roller in the tie bar in a relatively time-consuming riveting operation. More conventional designs require the roller to be riveted to the tie bar, which also requires two parts—the rivet and the roller in addition to the tie bar. As manufacturers face increasing pressure from a cost standpoint, there is a need for eliminating additional parts and therefore there is a need for an improved means for engaging a tie bar with a striker with fewer parts.
Finally, the position of the strikers with respect to the tie bar/rollers is critical if the window lock is to be moved from the unlocked to the locked position with as little force as possible. Hence, some sort of minor adjustment of the position of the striker with respect to the tie bar/roller would be advantageous, particularly if such an adjustment could be made after installation of the striker and tie bar.